A Lupin's Day Out
by riah alice drake
Summary: Will add to this periodically if you all like it. Remus and Teddy thought that Tonks deserves something nice for dinner during the upcoming Valentine's holiday.
1. A Day Out

"I can't decide…. there are just too many choices." Remus relented after a full ten minutes of looking at the same shelves in the Muggle grocery store.

Wide noodles, thin noodles, spaghettis and linguini's, bellflower looking spirals, raviolis, shell-like dumplings ranging from jumbo to small and all the sizes between and- if Remus hadn't been trying not to keep from pulling his hair out in indecision he would have grinned- that the muggles even had pasta made into little edible bow ties and what seemed like a limited timed holiday themed brand.

"Death by pasta choices." The bookish werewolf muttered to himself letting out a low frustrated growl as he looked over the choices running a hand over his face in complete defeat. "Which one do you think?" he asked curiously as he looked over at his shopping companion pulling two packages from the shelves at random and held them up for inspection.

"That one." The three-year-old answered proudly at being asked such an important question pointing at the bag in his Daddy's right hand. "This one huh?" Remus asked putting the rejected box back on the shelf. "Uh-Huh." The boy nodded "Mommy like hearts." Teddy pointed out as if it were obvious without looking away from the plush wolf his Daddy had gotten him from the zoo earlier in the day.

"She does….and I suppose even in a different shape it cooks just like normal pasta would." The older man nodded as he put the bag in the cart.

"OOO OOO Ruff wants that one Daddy," Teddy exclaimed before Remus had even drawn breath to ask once they'd reached the sauces section.

"Okay monkey if it's the one he really wants." The professor grinned chuckling at his son's outburst. "Mini-meatball." He read picking up the jar curiously. "Amazing that there are these many kinds of basically the same product huh?" he asked as he set the jar in the cart. "Ruff say more choice" Teddy started then paused struggling over what he wanted to say before trying again "... He says more gall-on get token" the tree year old answered with a shrug.

"Ruff is very smart for thinking that then." Remus nodded petting the stuffed toy's head fondly as he gazed at his son with amazed pride "he'll have you sorted into Ravenclaw before we know it with advice like that." He continued ruffling his son's hair making the boy giggle as the few strands of his natural light brown hair that were sticking out from under his hat turned to gold, scarlet and black "Us a Gray—in-puff." Teddy countered matter-of-factly struggling over his parent's house names.

"Okay okay, you're a Gray-in-puff." Remus agreed before his son could get upset with his frustration as he rested a hand on his shoulder to calm him. "I have an idea." He announced by way of changing the subject "Now we have dinner sorted why don't we go see what sweets and desserts the Muggles have come up with yeah?" he asked making his son squeal loudly in anticipation drawing an assorted mix of reproachful, curious and tender looks from the surrounding none-magical shoppers.

"Candy Candy CANDY." Teddy chanted happily nearly dropping Ruff as he shook in excitement while his father started to push the cart toward the end of the aisle with one hand while the other was busy pulling the hat lower on Teddy's head while his hair flashed different colors in his delight.

"Just promised not to tell Mommy how much sweets we buy okay?" Remus whispered pushing the cart around the corner while his son calmed down "No tells mommy." Teddy promised giving his Daddy a tight hug as they went in search of sweets.


	2. The Food War

Nymphadora Lupin had to use the last shred of self-control she had to keep from falling face first onto the floor right inside the door as she apparated home from another long day at the Ministry. If she was being honest all the Auror wanted was a hug and a kiss from her boys then to 'borrow' a few bars from her husband's sweets stash in the library, then to crash on the couch and sleep for a week.

The only problem was she didn't think she had the energy to raise her wand to cast the summoning spell on the chocolate.

"Don't tell me you're going to give up now?"

Tonks drug herself up looking over the back of the couch curiously at the sound of her husband's teasing question and the high-pitched giggle of "Daddy No." from their son. Intrigued Tonks pulled herself up and headed toward the kitchen. She gasped in shock as soon as she pushed the door open.

It was a mess.

And at its center was her husband and three-year-old son.

The red stains on their clothes, faces, necks and hair momentarily worried the Auror until Tonks saw the large open jar of pasta sauces laying on its side on the kitchen counter.

"Mommy," Teddy yelled happily when he spotted her standing in the doorway. "Mommy, Mommy, Mommy." He chanted attaching himself to her leg in a tight hug nuzzling his sauce-smeared face against her pant leg lovingly.

"Teddy." Tonks grinned petting her son's messy hair taking in the bits of pasta and sauce in it. "Teddy, Teddy, Teddy." She cooed sweetly peppering his face with kisses as she picked him up cuddling him against her side.

"Us have food war." Her son grinned proudly pointing at the food splattered kitchen by way of an answer. "I can see that love." Tonks nodded with a tender smile while all the fatigue she'd felt from her work day melting away at the warmth of her son's happiness. "food war fun." Teddy giggled nuzzling his face against her neck as he fisted his hands in her shirt hugging her closer.

"Erm…. Welcome home Dora." Remus said sheepishly as he pushed himself up from his hiding place behind the kitchen island trying to hide the hand full of pasta he'd been about to throw.

"Oh, Remus. Remus. Remus." She tisked moving around the island toward him with Teddy balanced against her hip. "Always the troublemaker I see." She commented shaking her head as she bit her lip to hide her smile while she pulled a piece of half-cooked pasta from his hair. "Mr. Moony." she grinned with a teasing wink at her husband followed by an exasperated sigh as she ran her hand through her own hair looking around the partial war zone of a kitchen. "And Mr. Moony Jr." she added ruffling Teddy's hair.

"But the thing that hurt the most love." Tonks mused taking a step closer to her husband before he could answer putting on a wounded expression as his eyes lifted to hers with a deeply guilty look. "was that my loving boys hadn't even thought to wait for me before all the fun started." She pouted scooping a palm full of pasta sauce from one of the jars and rubbing it over his mouth when he started to answer.

Teddy let out a loud shout of a laugh at the shocked look on his Daddy's face at the act. "Daddy funny." He giggled. "Mommy my teams." He asked her offering her his little hand full of broken pasta bits.

"Oh, I get it. You two are ganging up on Daddy huh?" Remus questioned with a raised eyebrow as Tonks grinned in answer looking from the pasta in her son's hand to her husband and back.

"So, what if we are?" she asked with a sly smirk as she lowered her son back to his feet letting Teddy hugged himself against her leg again with a toothy grin as his Mommy raised her hand taking the pasta from him and aiming it at her husband.

Thus, started the second pasta throwing war of the Lupin household.


End file.
